The first three films, of course -- 'American Pie,' 'American Pie 2' and 'American Wedding' -- were international blockbusters that helped usher in the era of the R-rated comedy, which has since brought us such notable examples as 'Wedding Crashers,''Superbad' and 'Knocked Up.'Batten down those window sills, moms of America, and hide your pies, because it looks like Stifler and company are back in business.

Indeed, the success of 'American Pie' and the countless imitators and spin-offs it has since spawned -- including four more 'American Pie' direct-to-video releases -- may prove to be the biggest challenge facing Universal, as the novelty of dirty jokes on the big screen may have worn off. Still, as all three feature releases topped the $100 million mark domestically, Universal seems confident that the brand name is still viable enough to support another big screen edition.

Just what form 'American Pie 4' will take, though, is still up in the air, as some are speculating that the studio will choose to reboot the franchise rather than extend it. That would solve one issue facing the series, namely how to handle the fact that stars such as Seann William Scott, Alyson Hannigan and Jason Biggs are now well past the point where they can convincingly play high school students.

While those logistical concerns will no doubt be worked out (the L. A. Times report indicates that many of the stars are likely to return in one capacity or another, though no deals have yet been finalized), for now the studio is focused on the opportunities a new 'American Pie' presents rather than the challenges.

After all, if we've learned one thing from the franchise, it's that when there's pie involved, the possibilities are nothing if not surprising.